For me, research is also a journey to satisfy my intellectual curiosity.

I was a naturally inquisitive child, with a particularly strong interest in all things science-related.

Among those many interests, I found a connection with pharmacy,

and now I am pursuing my dream of becoming a researcher.

Looking back, I've always been the type of person who wants to do fun things that stimulate my intellectual curiosity.

That's why I've always tried to keep a broad perspective to discover new interests.

For someone like me, research

might be like a fun journey to satisfy my intellectual curiosity.

As of June 2022

The high school I attended promoted a liberal arts-focused education and encouraged having a wide range of interests. This stance suited my naturally inquisitive personality, and I believe it helped establish the person I am today, who desires to learn broadly.

My alma mater was also designated as a Super Science High School (SSH), so it hosted many lectures by guest speakers, which I actively attended. Some of the lecture topics were related to pharmacy, such as molecular biology, and I think my interest in the field grew. However, during my university entrance exam period, my interests spanned all of science, not just pharmacy. I applied to various science-related faculties, and as it turned out, the one I was fortunate enough to get into was the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Keio University Faculty of Pharmacy, which was one of my many interests.

After enrolling, I realized that the chemistry and biology classes I took in high school were not a waste at all.

Frankly, I had expected to learn completely different things in university, but in the Faculty of Pharmacy, we start by learning things that are an extension of high school chemistry and biology. I was happy to feel that my past studies were "directly applicable" and that everything was connected.

I felt a sense of familiarity with the Shiba-Kyoritsu Campus, as my high school was surprisingly close. It's a compact campus with just three buildings, but it has a "small, elite group feel, where everyone is focused on their studies and research together," which made a good impression on me, as I had been aiming to become a researcher since high school.

When I say researcher, I don't necessarily mean limited to pharmacy; I've wanted to become a researcher in a broader sense, just like my interests, since before I entered university. However, my siblings and I were all sickly from a young age, so I've always been familiar with medicine and hospitals. Therefore, if I were to work as a researcher, I think I would choose a field related to medical sciences or healthcare.

This fall, I'm set to join Professor Hase's Laboratory of Biochemistry, and one of the reasons I chose it is because they conduct collaborative research with external institutions. From several collaborators, I chose the Department of Pathophysiological and Host-Defense Science in the Medical Research Institute at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. This choice aligns with my desire to learn broadly, and I want to decide my career path after completing my pharmacy studies at Keio's Faculty of Pharmacy from a wide range of options. I felt that choosing this laboratory was the only way to take that first step.

I'm a member of the Faculty of Pharmacy Badminton Team, where I serve as the captain. Since the team was about half experienced players and half beginners, I set a policy of "everyone having fun together" and designed practice menus to help the beginners gradually improve their skills. It might have been a bit unsatisfying for the experienced players, but it's fun when everyone, including the improved beginners, can play matches together. I, along with the other team leaders, made a conscious effort to create that kind of enjoyable atmosphere.

However, while creating a fun atmosphere is very important, we can't let things get too lax or casual. So, during breaks in practice, I might bring up topics from our classes, for example. We also hear about research from senior students who occasionally stop by, and we answer questions from junior members. A university student's main duty is academics, so I want conversations about classes and research to come up naturally in our daily interactions. My high school's motto was "a balance between academics and sports," which I believe is important for students, and I wanted to share that idea with my teammates. As a result of my efforts to create this atmosphere, everyone's motivation for their studies increased, and we all shared the attitude of thoroughly enjoying practice and matches. I believe we have successfully achieved a balance between club activities and our studies.

I am currently aspiring to become a researcher in the broader fields of medical sciences and healthcare, not just pharmacy.

I have always been interested in many things, and I believe there is research that can only be done by someone who has a broad knowledge of multiple fields. Of course, mastering one thing is a valid approach, but I will take a different path, engaging in one research project after another as my curiosity leads me. This isn't limited to research, but I believe that the more you broaden your perspective and gain experience, the richer you become as a person.

I actually think of myself as a lazy person; I only want to do fun things that stimulate my intellectual curiosity. Also, I find it hard to get motivated for my own sake, but I'm willing to act if it helps others. That's just my nature. So, to motivate myself, I keep increasing the number of things I like. To do that, I must maintain a broad perspective. In this way, I may have devised a way to keep myself from getting bored.